deja vu all over again, Hope Chests
 

Look at the things coming popular this year, from the Quilt Market booth.
http://blog.modafabrics.com/2016/05/...tails-details/
I had such a flash back to working on pillow cases and edgings and dish towels I made for my hope chest, that I feel 17 again :)
Do young people even do a hope chest anymore?
Mine was more the bottom drawer in my dresser, but I loved opening it up and touching my handwork.

So much of these photos reminded me of when my paternal grandmother Clara would renovate tattered dishtowels that others would throw out or use as rags. She would to embroidery, tatting and cut work. A hole would become a flower the edges of the towels would be tatted with the most beautiful designs in different colors. She would use them as doilies/scarves for dressers. She never quilted but did handi needlework. She taught my cousins and myself how to crochet a large tablecloth. She was so talented. She could use a sewing machine but handwork was her favorite because of being portable. Thanks you for sharing this.

I doubt young people know what a hope chest is anymore. My MIL, who got married in the 1940's, still had the nice things in her hope chest when she died. Saddly no one in the family really wanted most of the things. Reminder to use your nice things!

Some of my girls do but they build their own hope chest.

Yes it is like deja vu all over again. I don't think that current brides to be, make a hope chest. I grew up in LA, CA and no mention of a hope chest that I remember being discussed.

I love your pictures from the market. I had been looking somewhere at pillow cases that combined crochet with quilting and they were great-plan to make some for a benefit boutique I participate in come November. And, for a long time I spoke of my hope chest as my 'despair barrel'. I did most of the hand work as a teen and did not marry until I was 29. I really like unusual hand made linens.

Hope chests were for girls who hoped one day to meet the ONE man of their life....and marry........times have changed. I did have one, and marry him!...but now he's gone ahead of me and all my stuff will probably end up at goodwill...my dd and gds don't want any of it!

as an aside.......my neighbor, who just turned 90, showed me her cedar chest-once her hope chest- filled to the brim with linens she recd when she first married...never used! She gave me a few pillowcases...can't find that quality fabric anymore. She was going to give me some of the sheets, she said, so I could cut up and use in some quilts....oh, I couldn't do that...I told her to use them! Sadly, no children, her hubby gone too, and extended family not interested.....so moral of this is - use everything you own until tattered and chipped! I think I'll dig out my fine china and use it as everyday...why not!

My teenage granddaughters know what a hope chest is, have ( treasures) in theirs and once in a while request something they want to add. I think it depends a lot on how young people are raised. Some parents teach them to throw away, replace everything every year or so, some teach the value of holding onto items, saving and working for their futures.

I graduated in the 60s. I remember hope chests. They were one of the "sales" items, like class rings, etc when you were graduating from HS. Some of Home EC was geared towards items for the chest. Now days, I think the girls are just hoping to meet a guy that has a job and doesn't live at home!